Sheriff's RxBox has collected more than 2,300 pounds of unused meds

WHEATON – The Rx Box used to collect unwanted or unused pharmaceuticals at the DuPage County Sheriff's Office has collected more than one ton of medicine, according to a sheriff's office news release.

The service is available for residents who want to safely dispose of unused prescriptions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for free, according to the release. It both keeps the medications out of the hands of children and offers an alternative to disposing of them in environmentally harmful ways, such as flushing them down the toilet. Instead, they are taken by the Environmental Protection Agency, which incinerates them so no harmful substances are released into the atmosphere.

The box in the sheriff's office has collected more than 2,300 pounds so far, and will continue to be available at 501 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton.